Downey shooting: Teenage victim ID'd, other details emerge

The latest news (earlier story below):

Two of the three people killed in the Downey shooting rampage, Josimar Rojas, 26 of Downey, a father, and Irene Patricia Cardenas, 34 of Cudahy, weren't related to the other shooting victims, as police initially said, sources close to the family said today.

Rojas was an employee and Cardenas was a secretary with United States Fire Protection Services, the location of the first shooting location, for about one year.

The woman who was still hospitalized after being shot at the business is the mother of business owner Robert Salinas and Antonio Salinas Sr. She is Maria Theresa Salinas, 52, who was commonly referred to as "Mama."

An employee at a neighboring business said Susana Perez-Ruelas, the wife of Antonio Salinas Sr., drove her black Chevrolet Camaro to work that morning, but left in the vehicle before the shooting began. Perez-Ruelas was later shot and killed at her home, and her 13-year-old son, Antonio Salinas Jr., was injured in the shooting. released from the hospital on Thursday to members of his family.

The Salinas brothers, Robert and Antonio, are believed to have three or four other brothers - none of whom were at the business or residence at the time of the shooting.

Neighbors of the family business also said the family ran a "reputable business." She added that they ran a junk yard out of the back, and the rumors about the family selling news cars and motorcycles is false.

"It is a junk yard, so there are always beat up vehicles coming in and out of the driveway," she said.

She added that the family said they were having the press conference to clear up "the rumors and misinformation - to get the story straight."

The family is expected to give a press conference sometime between 2 and 3 p.m. today.

Posted noon today:

The 13-year-old teenager who was shot in the arm and was one of two survivors in a shooting rampage that left three dead is Antonio Salinas, an 8th grade student at Sussman Middle School, according to school officials. | PHOTOS

Antonio's mother, Susana Perez-Ruelas, 34 of Downey, was killed in the attack Wednesday that began with a shooting at a family business before a second shooting occurred at the family's nearby residence minutes later, according to the Downey Police Department.

Perez-Ruelas is a Mexican National, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office.

Perez-Ruelas was the wife and Antonio was the son of Antonio Salinas Sr., who was in Mexico at the time of the shooting, according to sources. Salinas Sr. owned the family home, according to the DataQuick property database, and has three other children with Perez-Ruelas.

Antonio has been released from a local hospital, authorities said.

Robert Salinas, 35, brother of Antonio Salinas Sr., said today that the other shooting survivor is his mother, who is still in the hospital in critical but stable condition after having reconstructive surgery to her hand, face and neck.

Robert Salinas said he owns the family business, United States Fire Protection Services, 8722 Cleta St., where the first three people were shot.

DataQuick lists the business as being owned by a trust, to which Antonio Salinas Sr. is linked.

Two of those shooting victims died at the business, while the third victim there was Robert Salinas' mother.

The other two fatal shooting victims were Josimar E. Rojas, 26 of Downey, and Irene Patricia Cardenas, 34 of Cudahy, according to police.

What their relationship was to the others is still unclear, though police said all of the victims are related.

Today two women, classmates of Perez-Rueles at the adult school in Bell Gardens for the last year, visited the memorial at the family's home. They said Perez-Rueles was taking classes for typing and English and was on track to obtain her GED.

"This is a tragedy," said one of the women, who didn't want to give her name. "We stopped by today to try to find more information about funeral services, and to find out how Antonio, her son, is doing. We are very concerned and terribly saddened - she was an amazing person and mother."

Meanwhile, police have yet to announce an arrest in the case, but since Thursday night they have had in custody a "person of interest" who matches the description of the gunman.

According to police, a gunman opened fire around 11 a.m. Wednesday at United States Fire Protection Services, 8722 Cleta Street near Lakewood and Firestones boulevards in Downey. Three people were shot there, including Robert Salinas' mother, and two died - Rojas and Cardenas.

Minutes later, police say, the gunman went to the family's duplex residence two blocks away at 8518 and 8520 Cleta Street and shot two more people, one of whom, Perez-Ruelas, died. The other victim there was 13-year-old Antonio.